Drake Bell found safe after being reported missing and endangered by Florida police

Drake & Josh star Drake Bell has been found safe after he was reported missing and endangered by Florida police.

“At this time, we can confirm law enforcement officials are in contact and Mr Bell is safe,” the Daytona Beach Police Department said.

The update comes hours after the police department posted an alert on their Facebook page on Thursday (13 April) with a picture of the former Nickelodeon star – real name Jared Bell.

“Officers are looking for Jared Bell,” the caption read. “He should be travelling in a 2022 grey BMW.”

The 36-year-old actor’s last known location “is potentially the area of Mainland High School” on Thursday (12 April) at 9pm EST.

“He is considered missing and endangered,” it added, directing those with any information to contact Detective Jayson Wallace at (386) 671-5207 or wallacejayson@dbpd.us.

Bell recently completed a two-year probation sentence on charges he faced after he pled guilty to child endangerment in June 2021.

Allegations against Bell were made by a then 19-year-old woman, who reported the actor to police in 2018, accusing him of grooming her since she was 12.

During the trial, via Zoom, she called the actor “the epitome of evil”, claiming their conversations became “blatantly sexual” when she turned 15.

She added that the pair exchanged explicit photos and Bell sexually abused her while she was underage.

“Jared Drake Bell is a paedophile and that is his legacy,” she concluded her statement.

Bell’s lawyers disputed claims of pictures being exchanged and sexual abuse, claiming that there was no evidence.

Delivering his sentence, Ohio judge Timothy McCormick said that “the fact of the matter is your position and celebrity status let you nurture this relationship… you were able to gain access to this child”.

Bell said: “I accept this plea because my conduct was wrong.

“I’m sorry that the victim was harmed in any way, but that was obviously not my intention. I have taken this matter very, very seriously. And again, I just want to apologise to her and anyone else who may have been affected by my actions.”

In 2020, Bell legally changed his surname to Campana, the Spanish word for “bell”.